Three-dimensional printing of texture images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021308936-A1
Application number	US-201817057401-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 7, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a method in a three-dimensional printer for printing texture images. Lower resolution images of a texture image from a print file are generated and then selected based on volume pixels to be printed.

First claim

1 . A method in a three-dimensional printer comprising:
generating a lower resolution texture image from a texture image of a three-dimensional print file, wherein the texture image comprises texture pixels; generating, from the three-dimensional print file, and based on print parameters of the three-dimensional printer, a three-dimensional print model comprising volume pixels; selecting, for a volume pixel of the generated three-dimensional print model, a lower resolution texture image of the generated lower resolution texture images dependent on a size of the volume pixel; and determining a texture value for the volume pixel based on the selected lower resolution texture image.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting a lower resolution texture image is further dependent on a size of texture pixels in the selected lower resolution texture image.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting a lower resolution texture image is further dependent on an orientation of the texture image with respect to the three-dimensional print model.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising selecting, for a different volume pixel of the generated three-dimensional print model, a different lower resolution texture image of the generated lower resolution texture images dependent on a size of the different volume pixel; and determining a texture value for the different volume pixel based on the selected different lower resolution texture image.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional print file comprises a three-dimensional triangular mesh.

6 . A method according to claim 5 , wherein texture pixels of the texture image are mapped onto vertices of the three-dimensional triangular mesh.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the lower resolution texture images are generated by mipmapping.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the lower resolution texture images are generated by anisotropic mipmapping.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to generating the lower resolution texture images, the number of texture pixels of the texture image in one dimension is extended to the closest power of two.

10 . A method according to claim 9 , wherein extending the texture image follows a pre-determined rule.

11 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a texture value for the volume pixel is based on a further selected lower resolution texture image of the generated lower resolution texture images.

12 . A method according to claim 11 , wherein the texture value for the volume pixel is calculated from texture pixels of the selected and further selected lower resolution texture images.

13 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the three-dimensional printer, a three-dimensional object with the texture value for the volume pixel.

14 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor in a three-dimensional printer, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:
instructions to generate candidate lower resolution versions of a texture image, wherein the texture image comprises texture pixels; instructions to generate a three-dimensional print model, wherein the three-dimensional print model comprises volume pixels that are characteristic of the three-dimensional printer; instructions to select a lower resolution version from the candidate lower resolution versions of the texture image, the selection based on:
a size of the texture pixels from the candidate lower resolution versions of the texture image; and
a size of the volume pixels from the three-dimensional print model; and
instructions to determine a texture value for the volume pixel from the three-dimensional print model based on the selected lower resolution version.

15 . A printing system comprising:
a printing device to apply a texture image to a three-dimensional object to be generated in a three-dimensional print process; a memory to store data representing a three-dimensional print file comprising the texture image; a processor to:
generate lower resolution texture images from the texture image;
generate a three-dimensional print model from the three-dimensional print file, based on print parameters from the three-dimensional printer;
select, from the lower resolution texture images, a lower resolution texture image for a volume pixel of the generated three-dimensional print model based on a size of the volume pixel; and
determine, based on the selected lower resolution texture image, a texture value for the volume pixel; and
a print controller to:
apply the texture value to the volume pixel of the three-dimensional print model; and
cause the printing device to generate, in the three-dimensional print process, the three-dimensional object with the texture value for the volume pixel.

16 . A printing system according to claim 15 , wherein to select the lower resolution texture image is further dependent on a size of texture pixels in the selected lower resolution texture image.

17 . A printing system according to claim 15 , wherein selecting a lower resolution texture image is further dependent on an orientation of the texture image with respect to the three-dimensional print model.

18 . A printing system according to claim 15 , comprising selecting, for a different volume pixel of the generated three-dimensional print model, a different lower resolution texture image of the generated lower resolution texture images dependent on a size of the different volume pixel; and determining a texture value for the different volume pixel based on the selected different lower resolution texture image.

19 . A printing system according to claim 15 , wherein the three-dimensional print file comprises a three-dimensional triangular mesh.

20 . A printing system according to claim 19 , wherein texture pixels of the texture image are mapped onto vertices of the three-dimensional triangular mesh.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Vinacua Pla Alvaro
• Chica Calaf Antonio
• Duran Rosich David
• Anton Dominguez Victor
• Gonzalez Martin Sergio
• Carruesco Llorens Alex
• Gonzalez Rogel Jordi

Classifications

• H04N1/60 Primary

  Colour correction or control {(H04N1/54 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/10 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title